The present invention relates generally to furniture, and more particularly to a couch, love seat, chair, or the like fashioned from resilient foamed material and having a unique inner support frame. Provision is made for a portion of the article of furniture to fold outward and rest on the floor, creating a sleeping surface.
Use of foam rubber in furniture construction has proliferated. Foam rubber is light, easily manufactured and shaped, and has found substantial use in such furniture components as cushions and the like. Once shaped, the foam rubber may be covered with appropriate upholstery material to present any desired outward appearance.
Use of foam rubber as a primary construction material for furniture has heretofore been impracticable. Rigid frames are required to support foam rubber and to keep it in its preselected shape. Attempts made to utilize the outer upholstery to hold the foam rubber in a selected shape have not been entirely successful. Such furniture has been relegated to the status of novelty items rather than as serious, usable furniture.
Articles of furniture that convert to bedding are old and well known, with the "sofa bed" being perhaps the most readily recognizable of such devices. In most such sleepers, an internally positioned folding framework supports a foldable mattress. Converting the article of furniture to a bed requires the removal of any seat, arm, and back cushions, and the pulling outward and upward of the folding internal frame. Commonly the frame must then be folded once more the extend the mattress and support it in a position for sleeping.
Such internal frames are quite complex in construction, with numerous pivots, folding links, and the like. Very often, such frames are difficult and awkward to operate, particularly for those suffering from lower back problems, arthritis, or the like.
Necessarily, the mattresses utilized in such prior art devices are thinner and less supportive than mattresses customarily used on beds. In order for the folding framework to operate, any mattress used must be thin enough to be easily folded. Over time, such mattresses begin to wear at precisely the points at which they are folded.
The cushions normally positioned on the couch must be removed in order to gain access to the folding framework; this creates a problem with storing and placing such cushions out of the way until the article of furniture may be returned to service as a sofa. Strewing such cushions around the room may result in a hazardous situation for a sleeper who awakens in the middle of the night and attempts to cross the floor without adequate lighting.
Inclusion of the internal frame also places restrictions on the styling which may be employed on such articles of furniture. Appearance is enhanced if the frame is completely hidden from view, and appropriate end panels must necessarily be employed to accomplish this result. Such a frame also makes the resulting construction much heavier and more difficult to maneuver.
Accordingly, the present invention has the following objects:
To provide attractive articles of furniture readily convertible for sleeping thereon;
To provide such articles using foam rubber as a primary construction material;
To provide such articles without requiring the use of folding, cumbersome, internal metal frames;
To provide such articles in forms which will create a sleeping surface of greater support and comfort;
To provide such articles in forms which are lightweight and simple to maneuver;
To provide such articles in forms which minimize required removal of cushions or the like in order to convert the article from sitting to sleeping; and
To provide such articles in forms which are simple and sturdy to construct and economical to manufacture and maintain.